One thing you love to hear folks say is "Democrats need to nationalize the '06 election". They always cite the 1994 "Republican takeover", with Newt Gingrich's Contract With America as the defining moment of the election, and how Democrats need to emulate that strategy to capitalize in 2006.
This idea is nothing but a Republican talking point, "advice" given by GOP plants in the media and chattering classes to move us away from the victory America, and the World, needs Democrats to achieve this November.
All politics are local, therefore nationalizing the '06 election is the worst thing we could do.
The idea that Newt's "Contract With America" won the 1994 election is quite possibly the biggest political mythology floating around these days. My proof? Earlier this week on Hardball, both Pat Buchanan and Bob Shrum agreed the 1994 election was a referendum on Bill Clinton, and his "priorities".
Clinton only got 43% of the popular vote in 1992. Then Clinton started his presidency talking about gays in the military, followed by "Hillarycare". Gays in the military might not have been the smartest thing to start with, and we all know of Bill Kristol's infamous memo saying "Hillarycare" must be defeated, because if this evolution in managing health care was implemented and succeeded, the country would be solidly Democratic for the next generation.
The point is: we shouldn't worry about nationalizing. The idea is but temptation from a snake in the grass, telling Democrats there is a quick and easy way out.
Democratic candidates should show how GOP congressman have toed the party line to protect the façade of the Bush Administration instead of represent the best interests of their constituents on a local level. They should use locally relevant items to make this point, and show how they would better represent the sensibilities of the people of that district.
But we shouldn't worry about coordinating the agenda, because what that agenda is isn't the same in Ohio as it is in Nevada. Nationalizing causes lots of inter-party battles because a whole different breed of Democrat gets elected in San Francisco, as compared to Colorado's 6th or 4th Congressional Districts.
Don't forget, Newt didn't introduce his contract until ten weeks before the 1994 vote, meaning even if you buy into the Contract With America hype, we shouldn't really see anything until August.